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2 Γ, ∆, Ε, Ζ, Η, Service of the Presanctified (of Holy Lent) Liturgy of the Catechumens

Γ After the readings have been said during the Lamplighting, the following is said

Let my prayer be set forth and after this the deacon intones the litany: Let us all say: from our whole soul and from our whole mind ...

And the people say: Lord, have mercy. And the priest says: For You are a merciful and man-loving God, and to You the

glory we send up, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

And after this there is a prayer of the catechumens in the Presanctified thus. O God, our God, the creator and maker (p. 53).

Aloud: That they also with us may glorify Your all-honorable and magnificent name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spir...

Γ Know (imperative: know) that both this prayer and the diaconal petitions from the Wednesday of the midweek of the fasts he says: All you catechumens, depart; you catechumens, depart; (let none of the catechumens; all you faithful)

Prayer. Reveal, Master, Your face (p. 54). All you who are for illumination, draw near ... Again and again, those who bow their knees, in peace let us pray to the Lord.

Liturgy of the Faithful First Prayer of the Faithful O God, the great and praiseworthy ... (p. 54) Second Prayer of the Faithful O holy Master, exceedingly good ... (p. 55)

Aloud: According to the gift of Your Christ... E Now the powers Γ, Η Let us complete our prayer ... For the precious gifts now offered... E. A prayer after the "Now the powers," which the priest makes. He who has visited us in

mercy and compassion, O Master, Lord, and has granted us boldness to us Your humble and unworthy servants, to stand before Your holy altar and to offer to You this rational and unbloody worship for our own sins, look upon me Your unprofitable servant and blot out my transgressions through Your compassion and cleanse my lips and my heart from every defilement of flesh and spirit and make me sufficient by the power of Your Holy Spirit for this ministry. And receive me through Your goodness as I approach Your holy altar. Be well-pleased, O Lord, that these gifts brought to You may be acceptable through our hands, condescending to our weaknesses. And do not cast me away from Your presence, nor abhor my unworthiness, but have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy and overlook my iniquities, so that having approached without condemnation before Your glory, I may be made worthy of the protection of Your only-begotten Son and may not become as a disapproved servant of sin. Yea, Master, almighty Lord, hearken to my prayer. For You are the one who works all things in all, and from You we all seek help.

Γ Prayer after the holy gifts have been deposited: He of the ineffable (pp. 55-56) Η

Help us, save us. That the whole evening. And make us worthy, Master, with boldness etc. (p. 56, ll. 60-67) O God, the only good and compassionate (p. 57, ll. 68-72)

E Prayer Attend, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, from Your holy dwelling place and from the throne of the glory of Your kingdom and come to sanctify us You who are enthroned with the Father on high and are here with us unseen; and deign with Your mighty

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2 Γ, ∆, Ε, Ζ, Η, Ἀκολουθία τῶν προηγιασμένων (τῆς ἁγ. τεσσαρακοστῆς) Λειτουργία κατηχουμένων

Γ Μετὰ τὸ ῥηθῆναι τὰ ἀναγνώσματα ἐν τῷ λυχνικῷ λέγεται τὸ

Κατευθυνθήτω καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο λιτανεύει ὁ διάκονος· Εἴπωμεν πάντες· ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας ...

Καὶ λέγει ὁ λαὸς τό· Κύριε ἐλέησον. Ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς λέγει· Ὅτι ἐλεήμων καὶ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ὑπάρχεις καὶ σοὶ τὴν

δόξαν ἀναπέμπομεν, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων

Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο γίνεται εὐχὴ κατηχουμένων ἐπὶ τῶν προηγιασμένων οὕτως. Ὁ Θεός, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ κτίστης καὶ δημιουργὸς (σελ. 53).

Ἐκφώνως· Ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ σὺν ἡμῖν δοξάζωσι τὸ πάντιμον καὶ μεγαλοπρεπὲς ὄνομά σου τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγ. Πνεύμ...

Γ Γινώσκει (γίνωσκε:) δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὴν εὐχὴν ταύτην καὶ τὰ διακονικὰ ἀπὸ τῆς τετράδος τῆς μεσοεβδομάδος τῶν νηστειῶν λέγει· Ὅσοι κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε· οἱ κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε· (μή τις τῶν κατηχουμένων· ὅσοι πιστοὶ)

Εὐχή. Ἐπίφανον, δέσποτα, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου (σελ. 54). Ὅσοι πρὸς τὸ φώτισμα προέλθετε ... Ἔτι καὶ ἔτι οἱ κλίνοντες τὰ γόνατα ἐν εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.

Λειτουργία πιστῶν Εὐχὴ πιστῶν αʹ Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ μέγας καὶ αἰνετός ... (σελ. 54) Εὐχὴ πιστῶν βʹ ∆έσποτα ἅγιε, ὑπεράγαθε ... (σελ. 55)

Ἐκφώνως· Κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου... Ε Νῦν αἱ δυνάμεις Γ, Η Πληρώσωμεν τὴν δέησιν ... Ὑπὲρ τῶν προτεθέντων... Ε. Εὐχὴ μετὰ τὸ Νῦν αἱ δυνάμεις, ἣν ποιεῖ ὁ ἱερεύς. Ὁ ἐπισκεψάμενος ἡμᾶς ἐν

ἐλέει καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς, ∆έσποτα Κύριε καὶ χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν παρρησίαν τοῖς ταπεινοῖς καὶ ἀναξίοις δούλοις σου, παραστῆναι τῷ ἁγίῳ σου θυσιαστηρίῳ καὶ προσφέρειν σοι τὴν λογικὴν ταύτην καὶ ἀναίμακτον λατρείαν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἁμαρτημάτων, ἐπίβλεψον ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὸν ἀχρεῖον δοῦλόν σου καὶ ἐξάλειψόν μου τὰ παραπτώματα διὰ τὴν σὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν καὶ καθάρισόν μου τὰ χείλη καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος καὶ ἱκάνωσόν με τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ἁγίου σου πνεύματος εἰς τὴν λειτουργίαν ταύτην. Καὶ πρόσδεξαί με διὰ τὴν ἀγαθότητά σου προσεγγίζοντα τῷ ἁγίῳ σου θυσιαστηρίῳ. Εὐδόκησον δή, Κύριε, δεκτὰ γενέσθαι τὰ προσαγόμενά σοι δῶρα τοῦτα διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων χειρῶν, συγκαταβαίνων ἡμῖν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις. Καὶ μὴ ἀπορρίψῃς με ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου, μηδὲ βδελύξῃ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναξιότητα, ἀλλ' ἐλέησόν με ὁ Θεὸς κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου καὶ παρένεγκε τὰ ἀνομήματά μου, ἵνα ἀκατακρίτως προσελθὼν κατενώπιον τῆς δόξης σου, ἀξιωθῶ τῆς σκέπης τοῦ μονογενοῦς σου υἱοῦ καὶ μὴ ὡς δοῦλος ἁμαρτίας ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι. Ναί, δέσποτα παντοδύναμε κύριε, εἰσάκουσον τῆς δεήσεώς μου. Σὺ γὰρ εἶ ὁ πάντα ἐνεργῶν ἐν πᾶσι καὶ τὴν παρὰ σοῦ πάντες ἐπιζητοῦμεν βοήθειαν.

Γ Εὐχὴ μετὰ τὸ ἀποτεθῆναι τὰ ἅγια δῶρα· Ὁ τῶν ἀρρήτων (σελ. 55-56) Η

Ἀντιλαβοῦ, σῶσον. Τὴν ἑσπέραν πᾶσαν. Καὶ καταξίωσον ἡμᾶς, δέσποτα, μετὰ παρρησίας κλπ. (σελ. 56, στ. 60-67) Ὁ Θεός, ὁ μόνος ἀγαθὸς καὶ εὔσπλαγχνος (σελ. 57, στ. 68-72)

Ε Εὐχὴ Πρόσχες Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἐξ ἁγίου κατοικητηρίου σου καὶ ἀπὸ θρόνου δόξης τῆς βασιλείας σου καὶ ἐλθὲ εἰς τὸ ἁγιάσαι ἡμᾶς ὁ ἄνω τῷ Πατρὶ συγκαθήμενος καὶ ὦδε ἡμῖν ἀοράτως συνών· καὶ καταξίωσον τῇ κραταιᾷ σου